Entertainment
HBCU Students Answer the call of Michelle Obama “Do Something” with “I Aspire” Mobile Challenge
The “My VOICE, My VIEW, My VOTE” Digital Shorts Launches Social Change Initiative for the Next Generation of Filmmakers
Michelle Obama
WASHINGTON /PRNewswire/ — At the Democratic National convention, former first lady Michelle Obama’s encouragement that people tap into their power to “do something” about injustices are still reverberating across the nation. Students at Howard University can recall a similar urgency last year when Barack and Michelle Obama presented Rustin, the Netflix biopic about Bayard Rustin, the architect of the August 28, 1963’s momentous March on Washington. They spoke of being a voice for change and how one act can make a difference during the inaugural 2023 HBCU First LOOK Film Festival.
This year, student filmmakers are inspired to make an impact by submitting a digital short for the My VOICE, My VIEW, My VOTE I Aspire mobile challenge for the 2024 HBCU First LOOK Film Festival at Howard University. By answering how they will be ‘The Next’ changemaker in their community, directors must capture a digital short of :59sec or less on their mobile devices and submit it on social media (Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube Short, Threads). Entries must include the hashtag, #IAspireChallenge when uploaded to social media. Three place finalists will be awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes and announced in October 2024. Each winner will be featured at the 2024 HBCU First LOOK Film Festival taking place November 8-10.
With the Democratic nominee for President of the United States being a graduate of an HBCU and a proud alumnus of Howard University — this historic moment in history aligns with HBCU First LOOK Film Festival’s theme: “A Celebration of Black Cinema X Activism.” Since the March on Washington, when Black actors linked arms with civil rights leaders in the fight for racial equality, Hollywood stars have used their power to galvanize for equal rights. And today is no different, HBCU alums in arts and entertainment have built bridges for the next generation to be the change in their communities with their vote.
The 2nd HBCU First LOOK Film Festival (HBCUFLF) will take place on November 8-10, 2024 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. This year’s highlights include the ‘I Aspire’ 100 List, HBCU First LOOK App; the source for the intersection of Black cinema and activism; HBCU First LOOK Film Challenge will be announced with a host of entertainment industry leaders, filmmakers, speakers and participants, screenings with the Beyond the Lights! Career & Vendor Lounge. Sponsors and media partners include AARP, Café Mocha Network, Howard University Television + Film. Howard University Television (WHUT), HBCUGO.TV, Howard University Radio Network SiriusXM Channel 142 and L.A.I. Communications
Social platforms @hbcufirstlook #hbcufirstlook #blackfilmmakers #myvoiceviewvote #IAspirechallenge
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila Eldridge – Sheila@milesaheadentertainment.com Visit https://www.hbcufirstlook.com/filmfestival.
SOURCE Miles Ahead Entertainment
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As the United States moves toward the 250th anniversary of its independence, a new public storytelling project is asking Americans to answer a big question: what does the American Dream mean today?
McCourt Entertainment has launched America-Dreams.com at SXSW as a digital platform designed to collect video submissions from people across the country. The goal is ambitious: gather one million voices reflecting on hope, opportunity, and what Americans want the future of the country to look like.
The initiative is tied to AMERIGO, an upcoming documentary presented by South Florida PBS and distributed by American Public Television. The film, which will be available to PBS stations nationwide beginning in June as part of 2026 programming tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary, explores the past, present, and future of the American Dream through conversations with people across the United States.
According to the project team, selected user-submitted videos may become part of the broader AMERIGOstorytelling effort, turning the campaign into more than a promotional rollout. Instead, it is being framed as a living archive of public voices gathered during a milestone moment in American history.
South Florida PBS President and CEO Dolores Fernandez Alonso said the goal is to make the anniversary feel inclusive and participatory.
“To celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, we wanted to do something truly remarkable and invite all Americans to share their hope for the American Dream at America-Dreams.com,” Alonso said. “We are extremely proud of the cross-section of voices from across our nation and we want to capture these stories, experiences and perspectives so that people feel included in this historic national conversation.”
Emmy Award-winning producer David McCourt said the project builds on the documentary team’s nationwide reporting.
“As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, this project asks a simple but powerful question: ‘What is your hope for the American Dream?’” McCourt said. “We want to hear directly from people across the country.”
The campaign arrives at a moment when interactive documentary projects and audience participation are becoming a larger part of public media storytelling. With AMERIGO, the combination of a PBS documentary and a nationwide video submission initiative gives the project a broader cultural footprint than a traditional film release.
Submissions are now open at America-Dreams.com. A trailer for AMERIGO is also available on Vimeo.
For entertainment audiences, the project stands out less as a conventional documentary launch and more as a large-scale invitation to participate in a national media moment ahead of America’s semiquincentennial.
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anime
Bible Anime Series in Development at Texas Studio With Global Faith-Based Ambitions
A Texas animation studio is developing a TV-MA Bible anime series, blending faith-based storytelling with cinematic anime for global streaming audiences.
A Fort Worth animation company is betting that faith-based storytelling and anime can meet in a way that feels cinematic, serious, and built for modern streaming audiences.
History In Motion Studios has announced Shinjitsu Ugoki (Truth Movement), a TV-MA Bible anime series now in development. The Texas-based studio says the project is designed for mature audiences and will present biblical narratives through serialized storytelling, theological research, and character-driven drama.
The announcement places the studio at the intersection of two growing markets: faith-based entertainmentand the global anime industry. Rather than aiming for a traditional family format, the series is being positioned as a more intense, long-form production shaped by conflict, consequence, and spiritual tension.
History In Motion Studios is also using Unreal Engine as part of its production pipeline to support cinematic world-building and high-fidelity environments. Script development, early character design, and broader production planning are underway through 2026.
Founder Edith Alvarado said the studio sees a major opportunity in bringing biblical storytelling into anime.
“As audiences continue to seek meaningful, story-driven content, we believe there is significant opportunity within the anime format to engage biblical narratives with depth and seriousness,” Alvarado said. “The question isn’t whether biblical stories belong in anime, it’s why it took this long. We’re here to change that; Anime will know the story of Jesus.”
The women-led Christian studio operates out of Fort Worth, adding to the growing list of independent creative companies building outside traditional entertainment hubs. As of Q1 2026, the series remains in active development, with more partnership and expansion announcements expected later this year.
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Source: History In Motion Studios
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Viewpoint Hosted by Dennis Quaid Brings Attention to a Little-Understood Condition Affecting Families Nationwide
A new Viewpoint hosted by Dennis Quaid segment with APFED raises awareness of eosinophilic esophagitis, its subtle symptoms, and its impact on families.
For more information, readers can visit viewpointproject.com and apfed.org.
For many families, health conditions do not always begin with a dramatic diagnosis. Sometimes they show up in small, everyday habits that seem easy to explain away. Cutting food into tiny bites. Drinking extra water with every meal. Quietly avoiding certain foods altogether. A new educational segment from Viewpoint hosted by Dennis Quaid is shining a light on those subtle warning signs through a collaboration with the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders, helping more people recognize the realities of living with eosinophilic esophagitis, or EoE.
Viewpoint hosted by Dennis Quaid
The segment, distributed to Public Television stations across the country, focuses on making this chronic inflammatory condition easier for the public to understand. For viewers, that matters because EoE is often misunderstood or overlooked, even as it affects daily routines, family meals, and quality of life. By connecting medical information to real-life experiences, the program gives audiences a more human picture of what people with the condition may be facing.
When everyday habits tell a bigger story
Eosinophilic esophagitis occurs when eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, build up in the esophagus, causing inflammation that can lead to tissue damage and narrowing. But what stands out most in this story is not just the science. It is the way people often adapt without realizing it. Behaviors like chewing excessively, avoiding certain textures, or relying on liquids to help swallow can become so routine that they no longer feel unusual.
That is one reason the segment carries real community value. It encourages people to look more closely at symptoms that may have been normalized for years and to seek evaluation from specialists such as gastroenterologists or allergists. It also raises awareness among parents, caregivers, and primary care providers who may be the first to notice that something is not quite right.
More than awareness
The program also explores the emotional and social side of the condition, especially for people navigating dietary restrictions and the uncertainty of delayed diagnosis. In that sense, this is not only a story about medicine. It is also a story about advocacy, support, and the importance of helping people feel seen.
APFED Executive Director Mary Jo Strobel noted that many people with EoE do not realize they have adapted their lives around a medical condition. That message gives the segment its strongest human element: awareness can change lives, not only by leading to diagnosis, but by helping families better understand experiences that may have felt isolating or confusing.
Originally distributed in January 2025, the documentary will continue to be made available to stations through March 2027, extending its reach to more households nationwide.
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For More Information
- Visit the official Viewpoint hosted by Dennis Quaid website
- Learn more about the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders
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